Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller vs. Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller
Score 7.6 out of 10
N/A
The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller is a highly scalable, service-rich, resilient, and flexible platform. It provides centralized control, management, and troubleshooting for high-scale deployments in service provide, enterprise, and large campus deployments.N/A
Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points are designed to provide simple installation, intuitive web-based configuration, and an integrated setup wizard to make them easy to use. Models include the Cisco WAP 150, and the WAP 125. The WAP 131 and WAP 121 older models are end of sale.N/A
Pricing
Cisco 8540 Wireless ControllerCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco 8540 Wireless ControllerCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco 8540 Wireless ControllerCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Cisco 8540 Wireless ControllerCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Small Businesses
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ubiquiti WLAN
Score 9.3 out of 10
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ubiquiti WLAN
Score 9.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco 8540 Wireless ControllerCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Likelihood to Recommend
7.4
(26 ratings)
8.6
(6 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.2
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco 8540 Wireless ControllerCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
[Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller's] software quality has been shed in recent years. The only problem I have with it is its inability to work with older Cisco Access Points. However, that's to be expected for any deployment. While the controller's UI works well, some areas could be improved. API integrations lack flexibility. [I feel] it's time for policy redesign. It can be a little difficult to determine coding quality.
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Cisco
As an IT technician I was involved in the deployment and configuration of some access points. Work was easy to attach it to the ceiling and connect to the CAT6A network cable. The controller located in the main building transmits all settings remotely in less than 15 minutes to the access point and it is already operational. The WAP 150 has a compact style and looks great on the ceiling because the antennas are internal and radiate omnidirectionally to users. We created three networks, one 2.4Ghz, the second 5Ghz and the other exclusively for patients.
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Pros
Cisco
  • The GUI on the Cisco 8540 WLC is much better designed than other Cisco products. Its easy to navigate between the different settings to find what is needed.
  • The AP groups allows touching multiple APs at one time.
  • It also allows us to create standard SSIDs that can be used at all sites that connect back to it, this saves a lot of time instead of hitting each site with a local controller.
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Cisco
  • Compact access point with internal antennas and easy ceiling mounting.
  • They are reliable and fast access points that work on the 802.11ac wave protocol with speeds of up to 1.2gbps at 5ghz. But they also work at 2.4 GHz.
  • Allows you to create a cluster of up to 4 access points on site and thereby manage radio frequency, power, and other network resources.
  • Access points can be managed on management and monitoring platforms with Cisco FindIT Network Management.
  • Allows to be installation easily with ethernet network cable.
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Cons
Cisco
  • Code quality is a bit hit and miss. This will be great for a while, then things will be bad for a while, then we'll do it again. The UI of the controller works, but could do with a refresh, and I would like to see some improvement on layout and organization.
  • The constant code/firmware upgrades and the QA of new code could be better.
  • Maybe the compatibility with old Cisco Access Points could be improved, but it's normal in all kinds of deployments.
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Cisco
  • I see that this model does not have the ability to mitigate strong interference at 2.4 GHz.
  • It is a model that does not serve auditors.
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
Overall, we have been very happy with the results.
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Usability
Cisco
Very well made product. Very stable. We have had no issues administering the 8540.
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Cisco
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Cisco
It is a better product. The evolution is positive.
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Cisco
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Cisco
We have [done] some work before with the Cisco 3504 product, but the more recent Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller provides a wider range of capabilities for managing the wireless network and each individual device [and] also being able to handle more users. Unfortunately, we didn't test and deploy equivalent products from other concurrent companies.
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Cisco
The products of the Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points family are an excellent option within the segment in which they compete. We provide many enterprise-level features with costs close to entry-level. It allows us to maintain centralized administration, scale easily, and not lose observability, and it maintains the quality and robustness that Cisco has accustomed us to.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller allows you to reduce your hardware footprint of wireless controllers deployed in your environment. Instead of having a controller per site deployed, you can have a couple of 8540 controllers in your data center that can handle up 6000 Access Points.
  • Some of the savings on hardware cost is offset by the cost of redundant WAN circuits. The access points will continue to function when connectivity to the Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller is unreachable, but it will not allow any new connections in that wireless environment.
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Cisco
  • Increased productivity with the use of notebooks and tablets.
  • Mobility and allowed to work from home during the pandemic.
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ScreenShots